1. Field
Embodiments relate to a method for controlling a rinsing cycle of a washing machine.
2. Background
A washing machine is a device configured to process laundry through various operations, such as, e.g., laundry, dehydrating, and/or drying. The washing machine includes an outer tub configured to receive water and an inner tub rotatably provided in the outer tub. A through hole is formed through the inner tub so that water passes through the through hole. In a state that laundry, such as clothes or bedding, is provided into the inner tub, if a user selects a desired course using a control panel, the washing machine performs water supply and drainage, washing, rinsing, and dehydration by running a preset algorithm corresponding to the selected course.
An operation of a washing machine may be classified into difference cycles, such as, e.g., a washing cycle, a rinsing cycle, and a dehydration cycle. A progressing procedure of the cycles may be confirmed through a display included in a control panel. The washing cycle removes contaminations attached to fabrics or laundry by rotation of a pulsator and/or an inner tub and/or by supplying detergent into the inner tub together with water. The rinsing cycle rinses fabrics or laundry by supplying water in which the detergent is not dissolved into the inner tub. For example, the detergent absorbed in the fabric during the washing cycle is removed. During the rinsing cycle, a fabric softener may be supplied with the water. The dehydration cycle dehydrates fabrics by rotating an inner tub at high speed after the rinsing cycle is terminated. When the dehydration cycle is terminated, the whole operation of the washing machine may be terminated. In a case of a washing machine having a drying function, a drying cycle is added after the dehydration cycle.
The washing machine may be divided into a top load type, where fabrics are supplied from thea top side and an inner tub is rotated based on a vertical axis, and a front load type, where fabrics are supplied from a front and an inner tub is rotated based on a horizontal axis. A rinsing cycle generally performed in a top load type washing machine may be a deep rinsing type which rotates a pulsator included in the inner tub after supplying water to a water level sufficient for sinking fabrics supplied into the inner tub. Such a type has an excellent rinsing performance but increased an amount of water used.
A nozzle is included to reduce an amount of the water used while ensuring a sufficient rinsing performance. The nozzle sprays water supplied from a water source into an inner tub to improve a rinsing performance with a small amount of the water by making the sprayed water contact with fabrics. According to the related art, since drainage is performed simultaneously with spray of the water through the nozzle, the water sprayed through the nozzle penetrates the fabrics to be drained without change. Such a type may reduce the used amount of the water as compared with the deep rinsing type. However, the fabrics may not be soaked in the sprayed water so that a rinsing deviation occurs between the non-soaked part and remaining parts. In order to prevent the above problems, the spray may be performed from a sufficient time for sufficiently soaking all fabrics. However, since the amount of the water used is also increased proportional to the increased spray time, a separate gain cannot be obtained as compared with the deep rinsing type. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of ensuring a sufficient rinsing performance while reducing the amount of the water used.